Emergency department presentations in Queensland by First Nations people, remote residents, and young children during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020: interrupted time series analysis

After the World Health Organization declared the international coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on 11 March 2020, Australian governments introduced stringent public health measures, including stay-at-home orders, school and business closures, and interstate border closures. During the initial restrictions period (11 March – 30 June 2020), the number of emergency department (ED) presentations in Queensland was 19.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 17.9–20.1%) lower than predicted by pre-pandemic data.1 We assessed the effects of these restrictions on ED presentations by three groups who experience health care inequity to determine whether specific public health approaches are required in future outbreaks to ensure that they receive appropriate emergency care.